Adolescent Medicine Program Grows to Meet Teen-Specific Health Needs

 Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital adolescent medicine program addresses the unique health concerns of children, teenagers and young adults ages 10-25 in the delivery of comprehensive, collaborative care. After adding two advanced practitioners and a pediatrician, the program is open for referrals to support an array of adolescent needs. Last year, the program served 7,000 new and follow-up patients.

“We have social work, nutrition and behavioral health therapists who provide a robust and comprehensive offering for adolescents,” says Arianna Ahiagbe, MD, pediatrician and Assistant Director of Medical Education for Adolescent Medicine, Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. “This really reduces barriers to care because often the issues adolescents face are multidisciplinary and have a significant social component. So having these different disciplines in-house makes care a lot more accessible for families.”

The program treats social and emotional concern concerns, including anxiety and eating disorders, reproductive and sexual issues, developmental and intellectual concerns, as well as management of chronic diseases or conditions. “The adolescent population is unique for many reasons, particularly the developmental changes that are happening in this period of time, including physical, emotional and cognitive. They have significant hormonal changes, growth spurts and brain development, which can affect their behaviors, emotions and decision-making abilities,” says Maria Aramburu de la Guardia, MD, attending physician and Medical Director of Resident and Medical Student Education, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital.

Program clinicians collaborate regularly with Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital doctors, including pediatricians who continue to manage well visits and preventive care, while expert adolescent clinicians address complex issues.

With shortages of mental health providers and psychiatrists prevalent nationwide and in the region, Adolescent Medicine Program clinicians have taken on the role of teen mental health specialists, ”but we focus on the whole person when addressing mental health concerns,” explains Dr. Aramburu.

“We have behavioral health specialists, a social worker and registered dietitian to provide well-rounded management for those mental health conditions,” which comprise about 60 percent of the program’s patients.

“Mental health cannot be managed in a silo,” Dr. Aramburu continues. “We take the whole person into account.”

“Adolescents are our next leaders, our future, so we’re meeting them at this unique developmental time where they’re trying to better understand themselves,” Dr. Ahiagbe says. “We get to help them with that search for independence and with decision-making around their health so that they can become healthy adults.”